Help Me Name The Post-Workout Glo Bar!

Just a quick note for those of you who were not receiving my RSS feeds last week. Eric has told me that the problem is now fixed. Apparently when we switched domain hosts last week it got messed up.

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First up tonight I am unveiling a new Glo Bar! I put a lot of thought into the combinations of ingredients in this bar because I wanted to create a Glo Bar that would aid in muscle repair after intense workouts.

Introducing…

The yet-to-be-named post workout Glo Bar!

I knew that I wanted 4 major things in this Glo Bar:

1) Over 10 grams of Protein

2) Lots of Antioxidants

3) A healthy serving of complex carbs

4) Lots of Healthy Fats (Omega 3 and 6)

And so I set off to create this after doing some research online.

I knew that I wanted to feature two of the healthiest seeds in this Glo Bar:

1) Hemp seed

2) Chia seed

Did you know that hemp seeds are thought to be the most nutritionally complete food source in the world?

Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain health. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form. They also have essential fatty acids in a perfectly complete ratio to meet human nutritional needs.

They are also really high in protein (11 grams) for 1 serving.

I also included chia seeds because they are also high in protein and are brimming with antioxidants. Consuming antioxidants post workout is thought to help recover from the oxidative stress that comes with intense workouts.

The nutritional profile for the new Glo Bar:

As you can see one bar has 11 grams of protein, tons of healthy Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, a good portion of carbs, among other things!

I had one of these bars after my long run today and I loved it. I am definitely going to include these as part of my long run recovery routine. It tamed my crazy monster hunger for about 3 hours- I was shocked!

Last week a reader named Katrin (all the way from Berlin!) wrote me telling me about her progress with running! I was so inspired by her story I asked her if I could share it on OSG.

Katrin wrote,

“Hi Angela,

I just wanted to report back and thank you again for your advice. I’ve been running for about 2 weeks now and I LOVE it!!!!! I run 3 times a week and never felt better after exercising! The 1 Minute running, 1 Minute walking tip really did it for me, because I was able to do that for 20 Minutes, which feels great compared to being completely exhausted after 7 Minutes running…

I even started to run for 5 Minutes and walk for 2, which for me is a huge achievement! My goal is to be able to run for 30 Minutes. But no pressure, right? ;)

You probably know all this already but I’m going to tell you this anyways. After running I like to stretch on my living room floor and then lay down and relax. This feels so great! I’m 22 years old and did a lot of ballet when I was younger, so I guess you can say I haven’t been lazy my whole life. But I never felt like THIS! You know, like you really accomplished something. Ballet is all about how your body looks when you do certain movements, but running is more about what it can do. Man, I wonder how my self esteem would have grown if I did running in the past and not focused so religiously on how I look!

Well, I just needed to get that off my glowing chest :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Katrin

How inspiring is Katrin?? Wow! :D

I couldn’t agree more that running has taken my focus off of how my body looks. I now view my body as this awesome, capable, beautiful thing that can do amazing things when treated properly. It is such a great feeling to be able to feel this way when pursuing running (or other challenging sports). Running has taught me so much and I really think it has made me a better person all around.

Thanks for sharing your story Katrin. I am sure you will inspire many readers who are thinking that they ‘can’t’ try running or they aren’t good at it.

If we can do it, so can you!! And that goes for any sport that you are thinking of trying. Get writing that Fitness Bucket List and start inching your way to reaching those dreams. Take baby steps every day to reach your fitness and health goals. It is amazing how even just 10 minutes a day can add up to creating a huge change.

Most of all, don’t limit yourself or sell yourself short. How many times have you let negative thoughts creep into your mind that told you you couldn’t do something? If you are like me, too many! It’s time to banish those negative nelly thoughts and start trying out fun things you have always wanted to do.

Have you done anything in your life that you thought you couldn’t do but surprised yourself? What was it?

I have a few random ones that come to mind: I got into a competitive grad school and graduated with a Masters degree, I left my friends and family and moved across Canada (one of the hardest things I have done), I fell in love with racing, and I was able to free myself from disordered eating that I lived with for over 12 years. Those are some of my biggest accomplishments in my life that I never thought I could do. Once I tried them out, I realized that it wasn’t as bad as I imagined.

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FOODBUZZ is giving out Blog Awards

Has Oh She Glows made a positive impact in your life in some manner? Have you been inspired in some way over the past 10 months via healthy eating, photography, body image, baking, recipes, fitness, writing/hot topics, etc?

If so, I really hope that you will consider nominating Oh She Glows for a FoodBuzz Blog Award! There are so many great categories up for nomination! I think blog awards are such a great idea because they really give back to all of the tireless, dedicated bloggers out there who put so much work into what they do. Blogging takes hours and hours a week (I spend a minimum of 27 hours a week writing, responding to emails, photography, etc).

I voted for about 15 of my favourite blogs today. It was a lot of fun! I even voted for who I would most want to make me a cocktail and who I would most want to watch on Food Network!

Oh and Sketchie thinks they forgot a category– COOLEST CAT! hahaha.

This picture kills me! Even Sketchie went through that awkward teen phase, bahaha.

I totally agree that running (and training in general) has taken the focus from the way my body looks to how it works! I did a triathlon this past summer, something I never dreamed possible. I still can’t believe I did it!

The first thing I thought of when I saw your very amazing detailed description about the bar was the name “RE-GLOW” or “REGLOW”

I think it makes sense~!

Not everyone will like it but i think it’s a good name because after a good long workout you want to get your “CLOW” back!!! So get glowing with the rest of your day with the REGLOW bar!! :]]

NO hard feeling if you don’t like it!! Just a simple idea!!!

U REALLLLYYY inspired me to start running!! I started with walking 2 minutes running 2 minutes. And yesterday for the FIRST time on my WHOLE life (i’m 14! LOL) I ran 3 miles STRAIGHT!!!!! I was so proud of myself! I thought of your inspiring post that u wrote a while back about your running journey!! It really inspired me!! Thank you SOO much!! :]]

I hear ya on blogging taking hours and hours…I love it, but it is alot of work. It’s refreshing to actually hear someone like you admit that b/c for some reason, no one talks bout the fact that it is alot of work to successfully run, maintain, and post daily on a blog and do it nicely and in a visually appealing way…alll while actually cooking things you need to be blogging about :) and for me, taking care of my child, hubs, house, job, etc. Thank you for saying that it’s work, I agree :)

I love that you inspired Juie (the 14 year old girl who commented above) to start running!! It is so important to have a positive outlet in our lives, especially as a young woman. Go Juie and Go Angela!!

I agree, running has totally changed my life. I am total proof that even a 197 pound woman can be a runner. Yup, I put my weight out there on the internet. They are just numbers, and I am way more than just a number :) Running has made me realize that. I am strong and determined in a way I never thought possible! My marathon goal is on my Fitness Bucket List!

Hey Angela!! first of all… LOL @ Erin above… I’m a 197 pound runner too!! And running my first half in 5 days!!! :) well this morning it actually said 195, but pretty close, hehe.

Angela, I just wanted to comment… in your post you mentioned your “monster hunger” after a long run. I read something interesting on sparkpeople the other day and wanted to share it with you. someone in my running group asked about their intense hunger on long run days as well, and one person replied that it’s because they aren’t eating enough DURING their runs, and therefore their body has to tap into the reserves we have built up more heavily and thats what leaves you feeling so ravenous after. he recommended 1 calorie per 1 lb of body weight for each hour of activity. I thought it was pretty interesting and wanted to share! :) Happy running!!

I love your questions, especially when they make me stop and be reflective. Similar to you, I went to Grad School and graduated in 2 1/2 years while working full time and having a huge volunteer commitment and a boyfriend, then fiance who travels 80% of the time for work. I had every minute of every day scheduled and I knew that in the long run this will help me find my dream career!

It looks like you’re finding some good feedback on the new Glo Bar! It looks so great. You put so much research into it, I am so impressed! :) Your Berlin reader hit the nail on the head, about loving our body for what it DOES, not what it looks like! :D So happy for her!

I also tried running, a week ago. I have asthma, and for me, running was equal to choking. I tried it, because I wanted to see if my body can do it, and what the hell is so good about running that all the blog girls do it! And I did it. I ran for about 40-50 minutes, with just a 5 min break in the middle. I was slow, but I survived. I came back to my apartment, and I was sooo happy! I think I’ll run again this week :)
Ang, you definitely had some impact on me! As I read your posts, you really inspire me to think about myself, about how I need to treasure and respect my body. Thank you for that

Has OSH had a positive impact on my life? I have struggled so much — god, so much — with disordered eating (like you, with binging and restricting). It has overwhelmed my life the past SIX years. I keep thinking i make progress, and then i feel like i relapse and lost everything i have worked for — i feel like i am right back at square one.
But Ang, your blog shows me that recovery and happiness and freedom from the captivity of disorder are all possible. Sure, i adore some of the other blogs and read them religiously. But your blog is the one that I find so inspirational, so relateable. You stress that you’re not perfect, but you’re pretty darn close, just lovely inside and out. It makes me want to keep fighting. When i see what you have overcome, I am filled with hope and strength.
You’re just terrific, Angela, and such a sweetheart to boot.
I’m gushing, but I know the other ladies here agree!

the thing i love about healthy lifestyles is that there are so any different things you can do, whether they be nutritional, physical, mental. i never thought i’d overcome disordered eating either, and on top of that, i never thought i’d be so comfortable with eating basically whatever i want or defending my healthy choices to other people. i never thought i’d be able to run a mile, survive a vinyasa yoga class, or even silly things like eat an entire avocado or young coconut and not feel guilty. it’s amazing what we can do when we just trust ourselves. :)

it’s wonderful that you’ve found such passion in running. i think that is one of the best parts of exercise – when done in a healthy way, how can we not realize how powerful our bodies can be? i love that about it!

Those are some nutrient packed bars! Wow! And perfect for a girl who just ran over 12 miles! I had planned to do a long run today, but my leg is a bit sore, so I think I’ll be smarter holding off for a day or two…listening to your body is such an important thing and I’m so glad that is something you continue to emphasize.

I can’t wait to see what your two new pets are!! The post-workout bar sounds awesome! I like repair, because it says exactly what it does. I want to repair my muscles after I put them through a strenuous workout.

First of all, Sketchie is so adorable! I can hardly stand the middle picture. The paws are huge! Too cute!

I too have been inspired by your blog and have started running. I try to run three times a week to three songs. I know that’s pretty pitiful. The songs aren’t even timed, so the “run” can be anywhere from 8 minutes to 15 minutes! But it’s something right?

An Ironman competition just took place in my city and boy oh boy, if that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is. Amazing! I thought of them on my jog this morning and it kept me going.